How to Write Documentation That People Actually Read

The Documentation Nobody Uses

You spent hours writing documentation.

You covered everything. You were thorough. You explained every edge case.

And then:

• People still ask you the same questions
• Nobody can find what they need
• The documentation sits there, unused

The problem: You wrote documentation for yourself, not for your users.

Most documentation fails because it's organized by how YOU think, not how USERS search for help.

Why Documentation Gets Ignored

It's Organized Wrong

How you organized it:

• Alphabetical list of all functions
• Chronological (feature by feature as built)
• By internal architecture

How users need it:

• By task ("How do I...?")
• By problem ("X isn't working")
• By use case ("I want to...")

Users don't care about your internal logic. They care about solving their problem.

It Assumes Too Much Knowledge

Your docs: "Configure the authProvider prop on the <AuthContext> component with your OAuth credentials"

New user: "What's a prop? What's Auth Context? Where do I get OAuth credentials?"

You wrote for someone who already knows everything. Those people don't need docs.

There's No Clear Entry Point

User lands on your docs homepage:

They see:

• API Reference
• Architecture Overview
• Release Notes
• 47 other links

They think: "Where do I even start?"

If your docs don't have a clear "START HERE" path, people give up.

It's All Text Walls

Nobody wants to read paragraphs of technical explanation.

They want:

• Quick examples
• Code snippets they can copy
• Visual diagrams
• Step-by-step instructions

Wall of text = instant back button.

The Structure of Good Documentation

Start With Quick Start Guide

The most important page:

Title: "Quick Start: Get Running in 5 Minutes"

Structure:

1. Install (one command to copy)
2. Basic example (code that works)
3. What you just did (brief explanation)
4. Next steps (3 links to dive deeper)

Goal: Someone can get a win in 5 minutes. Then they're invested in learning more.**

Organize by User Task

Bad structure:

• Functions
  • authenticate()
  • getData()
  • processData()

Good structure:

• Getting Started
  • Installation
  • Your First Request
  • Authentication
• Common Tasks
  • Fetching User Data
  • Updating Records
  • Handling Errors
• Advanced
  • Custom Configuration
  • Performance Optimization
• Reference
  • API Docs
  • Error Codes

Notice: User can find "How do I fetch user data?" immediately.

Use the Diataxis Framework

Four types of documentation:

1. Tutorials (Learning-oriented)

   • Step-by-step lessons
   • "Follow along and build X"
   • For beginners

2. How-To Guides (Problem-oriented)

   • Solve specific tasks
   • "How do I do X?"
   • For users with specific goals

3. Explanation (Understanding-oriented)

   • Background and concepts
   • "Why does it work this way?"
   • For deeper understanding

4. Reference (Information-oriented)

   • Technical details
   • API specs, parameters
   • For looking up specifics

Don't mix these. Keep them separate.

How to Write Clear Technical Content

Use Simple Language

Bad: "Utilize the instantiation methodology to construct a paradigmatic representation"

Good: "Create an instance"

Rules:

• Use common words
• Avoid jargon unless necessary
• Define technical terms first time you use them
• Write like you're explaining to a smart friend

Show, Don't Tell

Bad: "You can authenticate using JWT tokens by passing them in the Authorization header"

Good:

// Authenticate your request
fetch('https://api.example.com/data', {
  headers: {
    'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_TOKEN_HERE'
  }
})

Why better: They can copy and modify. No interpretation needed.**

Use Examples Liberally

Every concept needs:

• Basic example (simplest case)
• Real-world example (how you'd actually use it)
• Complete example (full working code)

Users learn from examples, not descriptions.

Break Up Text

Instead of paragraphs:

✅ Use bullet lists ✅ Use numbered steps ✅ Use code blocks ✅ Use headings frequently ✅ Use tables for comparisons ✅ Use callout boxes for warnings/tips

Scannable > Readable

The Anatomy of a Great Doc Page

1. Clear Title

❌ "Configuration" ✅ "How to Configure Authentication"

Specific > Generic

2. Brief Summary

First paragraph: "This guide shows you how to set up authentication in 3 steps. Takes ~10 minutes."

Tells them:

• What they'll learn
• How long it takes
• What they'll be able to do

3. Prerequisites

Before starting, you'll need:

• Node.js 16+ installed
• An API key (get one here)
• Basic JavaScript knowledge

Prevents frustration halfway through.

4. Step-by-Step Instructions

Each step:

1. What to do (action)
2. Code example
3. What you just did (explanation)
4. Expected result

Example:

Step 1: Install the package

npm install auth-library

This adds the authentication library to your project.

You should see output confirming installation.

5. Troubleshooting Section

Common issues:

"Module not found" error

• Cause: Package not installed
• Fix: Run npm install auth-library

"Invalid API key" error

• Cause: Wrong format or expired key
• Fix: Check that your key matches the format sk_live_...

Prevents 80% of support questions.

6. Next Steps

Now that you've set up authentication:

• Learn how to fetch user data
• Explore advanced auth options
• See example apps

Guides them to next logical step.

Documentation Anti-Patterns

Anti-Pattern #1: The Assumption Dump

Bad: "Simply configure the React context provider with the auth token retrieved from the OAuth flow after redirect"

Problems:

• "Simply" (nothing is simple if they're reading docs)
• Assumes knowledge of React context
• Assumes they've done OAuth before
• No example

Anti-Pattern #2: The Missing Why

Bad: "Set cache: false in your config"

Better: "Set cache: false in your config to disable caching and always fetch fresh data. Useful for development but not recommended in production."

Always explain WHY, not just WHAT.

Anti-Pattern #3: The Outdated Example

Examples that:

• Use old syntax
• Reference deprecated features
• Don't work if you copy-paste them

Test your examples. Keep them updated.

Anti-Pattern #4: The Over-Clever Example

Bad example:

const data = await fetch(url).then(r=>r.json()).catch(e=>console.log(e)||[]).filter(x=>x.active)

Good example:

// Fetch active users
const response = await fetch('https://api.example.com/users')
const data = await response.json()
const activeUsers = data.filter(user => user.active)

Docs examples should be clear, not clever.

Advanced Documentation Techniques

Interactive Examples

Let users try it:

• Code playground (CodeSandbox, JSFiddle embed)
• Interactive API tester
• Live demos

Why: Learning by doing is 10x more effective.**

Video Walkthroughs

For complex setups:

• 3-minute video showing the process
• Not a replacement for written docs
• Supplement for visual learners

But: Keep it short. Nobody watches 45-minute tutorials.

Search-Optimized

Make your docs findable:

✅ Use question-based headings ("How do I...?") ✅ Include common error messages in text ✅ Add keywords users would search ✅ Have good search functionality

Test: Google "how to [thing] with [your product]" - does your doc show up?

Versioning

If your product has versions:

✅ Clearly mark which version docs are for ✅ Let users switch between versions ✅ Indicate deprecated features ✅ Provide migration guides

Nothing worse than following docs for wrong version.

The Documentation Maintenance Checklist

Every Release:

• Update version numbers in examples
• Test all code examples
• Mark deprecated features
• Add docs for new features
• Update screenshots if UI changed

Quarterly:

• Review analytics—which pages get most visits?
• Look at support tickets—what's missing from docs?
• Check for dead links
• Update any changed best practices

Ongoing:

• Add examples from support questions
• Fix errors users report
• Improve pages with high bounce rates

Special Types of Documentation

API Reference

Must have:

• All endpoints listed
• Request/response examples
• All parameters with types and descriptions
• Error codes explained
• Authentication clearly shown

Auto-generate from code if possible (OpenAPI, JSDoc, etc.)

SDK/Library Docs

Essential:

• Installation instructions
• Import syntax
• Basic usage example
• All public methods documented
• TypeScript types if applicable

Internal Documentation

For your team:

✅ Architecture decisions (ADRs) ✅ Runbooks for common tasks ✅ On-call procedures ✅ Deployment process ✅ Where things are

Update as you change things, not 6 months later.

How to Know If Your Docs Are Working

Measure:

• Search queries - What are people looking for?
• Support tickets - Same questions over and over?
• Page analytics - Which pages get abandoned?
• Time to first success - How long to get something working?

Test:

• New user test - Can someone who's never seen your product get it working from docs alone?
• Expert review - Have someone experienced critique your docs
• Support team feedback - What do they wish was documented?

The 4 Tests for Documentation

Before publishing:

1. SIGNAL: Can someone find what they need in under 2 minutes?

Clear navigation? Good search? Task-based organization?

2. OPPORTUNITY: Can someone succeed with this without asking for help?

Complete examples? Clear steps? Troubleshooting included?

3. RISK: Am I assuming too much knowledge?

Defined terms? Explained prerequisites? Appropriate skill level?

4. AFFECT: Would I want to use these docs?

Clear? Scannable? Helpful? Or frustrating and confusing?

Check Your Documentation

Not sure if your docs are clear and useful?

Analyze them free with 4Angles →

Paste a doc page. See how it scores on:

• SIGNAL (Can users find and understand info?)
• OPPORTUNITY (Can they succeed with this?)
• RISK (Are you assuming too much?)
• AFFECT (Is this helpful or frustrating?)

Get specific guidance on improvements.

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Related Reading

• How to Sound Smart Without Using Big Words
• Is My Slack Message Too Long?
• Why Your Meeting Notes Are Useless

About 4Angles: We analyze your writing from 4 psychological perspectives (Signal, Opportunity, Risk, Affect) to help you communicate with confidence. Free analysis available at 4angles.com.

Last Updated: 2025-10-28